Now.
Helena tells the sad story of her and her friends to Lucien, not for him to feel sorry for her but for him to understand that the angels don't have a good life serving the G.o.ds.
She continues as she doesn't realize that he is patting her head. His smell is good that even when talking about painful memories, she doesn't feel so bad.
"Atticus did not die, but... from that day on, our life has never been the same," Helena speaks while resting her head on Lucien's chest.
"The angels of our Houses were very upset by the death of General Cra.s.sus, but Maxim was really furious. As soon as Atticus's life was out of danger, he again tried to go after the Water G.o.ddess."
Helena starts to fiddle with Lucien's s.h.i.+rt as she continues. "We knew that Maxim would be killed or suffer worse punishment if he defied the G.o.ds, but his heart was being corrupted by regret and anger..."
"Atticus and I couldn't let Maxim that way. So Atticus... He told me that we had to fill the void in our brother's heart, and only I could do that... give him a reason to continue living... "
After several sad and painful expressions, a beautiful smile appears on Helena's lips. "When our daughter was born, I also felt that I gained a new reason to live..."
"I joined my Caudinus House with the Cra.s.sus House, but even so, our people were weak and unmotivated after General Cra.s.sus's death. But Atticus... he was always there to help us."
Lucien can't help wondering how someone as good as Atticus had a nephew as trashy as Agapius. Even he feels that he could be friends with that poor angel.
Helena sighs and continues. "Atticus helped our family for a long time. He fought our battles and served the G.o.ds very well so that Maxim and I could focus on raising our daughter."
"She was a beautiful and special girl... She only inherited good traits from Maxim and me. Still, in addition, she also inherited many traits from her grandfather, mainly his honorable and n.o.ble heart, as well as his revolutionary ideas."
"She was the best person I ever met..." Helena speaks in a tone that is both happy and melancholy. "Our life seemed perfect, until... one day she discovered everything that happened to my family and General Cra.s.sus."
Helena looks really sorry now, and Lucien can see that she blames herself for that. Then he continues to stroke her head. "You wouldn't be able to hide the truth from her forever, and that wouldn't be fair to her, just like to those who died."
"You don't understand what it cost me... what it cost our family..." Helena responds.
She pauses for a while before continuing to tell her story. "Maxim and I tried to make our daughter understand that we were only servants of the G.o.ds and any attempt to change that would only result in suffering for us and those dear to us."
"But she was very stubborn... Due to her just and n.o.ble heart, as well as her incredible personality, she joined a secret group of rebels who want the freedom of the angels."
"Maxim and I were against that, but we couldn't force our daughter to be a good person. Luckily, she found a good man in that group..."
"We quickly agreed and even encouraged that realization because, in addition to being a n.o.ble-hearted rebel, that man was brilliant and knew that they couldn't just face the G.o.ds."
"My son-in-law... While my daughter became the leader of that group, it was he who kept them alive and prevented my daughter from making mistakes. She had the revolutionary spirit, and he had a cautious mind." Helena smiles.
"For a long time, things seemed to be going well, until someday... Some members of that rebel group refused to follow an order from a G.o.ddess..."
Helena's eyes s.h.i.+ne with anger as she continues. "The destiny is really cruel... or rather, that d.a.m.n woman is even crueler... It had to be her... The Water G.o.ddess again."
"When my daughter found out that, she didn't think twice about trying to help those poor angels. But my son-in-law knew that they couldn't save their friends or they would all end up dead..."
"He tried to stop her, but... a man can't stop a determined woman, especially when he loves her." Tears start to fall from Helena's eyes again.
Helena sighs and then moves her body a few inches away from Lucien. "Well, then what I said earlier happened. My daughter and her husband were executed for treason, and I was turned into a fallen angel for begging for their life."
"And Maxim... He blamed me for the suffering we went through seeing our beloved daughter being killed by the Water G.o.ddess... He said he would rather have died along with his father than live to have a daughter with me and watch her die…"
"That woman just left us alive for us to suffer more..." Helena grits her teeth when she talks about the Water G.o.ddess, and Lucien is already very angry with that woman without even knowing her.
He approaches his body to Helena's again. "You said that your friend helped you escape... Was it Atticus?"
She nods. "Yes, Atticus has always helped me. I'm sure he would have tried to defend my daughter as he did with General Cra.s.sus, but he didn't have that option. When he found out what had happened, he helped me to escape."
"He wanted me and Maxim to leave Qi together, but he..." Helena pauses while making a sorry expression. "Losing his beloved daughter just as she lost his father was too much for him. His heart and mind broke..."
She sighs and continues. "That was the end for my daughter and her husband, but not for their family... They had a daughter: little Alexa, just a young girl when all that s.h.i.+t happened."
Then Helena smiles. "When he failed to convince Maxim to come with me, Atticus wanted to be the one at my side. But I asked him to stay in Qia and take care of Alexa because she couldn't count on her grandfather for that."
"After that, I don't know what happened. I just kept running away as my heart and body slowly rotted... I don't even know how long it has been since that dark day..."
Lucien ignores Helena's attempts to move away from him and hugs her again. "I can't imagine what kind of suffering you went through, and I also don't know what to say to comfort you, but..."
A strange glow pa.s.ses through his eyes, which now s.h.i.+ne purple and gold. "One day, I will find that woman... the Water G.o.ddess and make her wish to die... but I will not give her that option."
Helena rolls her eyes while give up trying to move their bodies away. "I know how you like to help your women to get revenge... But I am not one of your women, and I have no interest in becoming one."
"Also... The Water G.o.ddess is a High G.o.d. I didn't know how they were so powerful before, but after hearing the story about the Phoenixes, I understood..."
She looks at him with a sad expression. "Anyone who opposes the G.o.ds will suffer in the worst possible ways... I can't think of revenge while I still have a lot to lose..."
"Alexa..." Lucien thinks aloud while he understands Helena's fear.
"Yea." She nods. "I haven't seen her grow up, and I don't know what kind of person she is. But she's the only good thing left over from my s.h.i.+tty life."
"She was lucky to have Atticus at her side, and there was also an old companion of General Cra.s.sus: Ligea. She already took care of Alexa when she was just a baby, so I'm sure they took good care of her. But..."
Helena makes a sorry look. "Yet, Alexa is proof that angels don't have a good life being slaves to the G.o.ds. Her family suffered a lot, and that suffering is part of her..."
"Also... From what Genevieve said, Alexa doesn't want things to go on like this. She must have also inherited the revolutionary spirit of General Cra.s.sus. And things will not end well either..."
"Unless she..." Helena looks at Lucien with a thoughtful expression. "FInd powerful allies... now that I think about it, maybe that mysterious woman... maybe Alexa's destiny is to meet you."
Lucien would have found it crazy that his mother would have planned for him to have allied angels before. But now... after hearing Helena's story, he has another vision about the angels, or rather, he doesn't want to judge an entire race as each person is someone different, regardless of what race they are.
l.u.s.t also has several conflicting thoughts now. She knows that many angels adore the G.o.ds, but it also seems that they have no other option. Yet, she remains silent within Lucien's soul and lets him think on his own.
He looks at Helena with a thoughtful expression. "You seemed to hate me an hour ago, but now you are saying that I am your granddaughter's hope?"
Helena blushes as she looks away from Lucien. "I... I didn't hate you... stupid devil!"
"Oh, really??" He asks in a funny tone as he finds Helena's reaction adorable.
"Yes..." She looks him in the eye again. "I thought you were a villain because you have no honor and kindness in your heart... You do everything for those you love, even if it means burning worlds to ashes..."
"But... I now understand that your selfishness and brutal means could have kept my family alive. If my son-in-law were like you, he would let those people die and keep my daughter alive."
Helena sighs again. "Good people don't get anything good in this s.h.i.+tty universe! And I prefer that my granddaughter has a devil as her ally than good and n.o.ble people who will let her die or suffer worse punishment."
Lucien understands Helena's thinking. Then he puts his hand on top of hers. "Look... I can't force your granddaughter to accept my help, just as I couldn't force you to do that."
"But I promise to do my best to convince her. I also think that we should be allies and fight the G.o.ds together." He speaks in a determined tone.
Helena feels that she likes Lucien more and more. She still disagrees with many things she saw him do, but she understands that all he does is thinking for the good of those he loves, which she did not do well.
Then she makes a hesitant expression. "I said I was worried about something before... It's that..."
"It's about Pride, right?" He asks.
She nods. "I knew you would understand my point, but the Sins... they are ancient demons who have seen much more than I can imagine about the cruelty of the G.o.ds. I don't think they will accept an alliance with angels."
"I'm sure l.u.s.t thinks the same way as I do." Lucien smiles. "Envy can also be a very understandable person when she wants to. Sloth is too wise to stick to things that happened a long time ago."
"But the other..." Helena thinks aloud as she continues to play with Lucien's s.h.i.+rt. She doesn't realize how quickly her body is becoming dependent on his.
"I can't say anything about Greed and Gluttony..." Lucien comments. "But Wrath is going to do what Prides does, and I can't predict what she will do."
Helena is silent for a few seconds. "Lucien... I know that what I'm asking you is very complicated. You owe me nothing, and yet I'm here, begging you..."
"Shhh..." Lucien interrupts Helena. "As you said, I do anything for my women."
She pouts. "And I said that I don't want to be your woman."
He chuckles and starts to stroke her hand that is playing with his s.h.i.+rt. "Your mouth says one thing, but the rest of your body seems to have a different opinion."